The Problem with Playing It Safe
What’s the saying? “Fortune favors the bold.”
Gaming leaders might love "data-driven” games, but players likely not as much.
In the gaming world, especially in publishing, it feels like we’ve moved deep into data-driven (or even data-obsessed) territory. Everyone’s chasing wishlist counts. Every game is bombarding players with CTA spam.
A year ago, that approach felt strategic. Now, it just feels expected. With quantifiable data in hand, we can forecast potential revenue and tell our stakeholders we hit certain metrics. It’s the safer setup.
But the more we optimize for safety in numbers, the more we blend in.
At some point, we A/B test the soul out of our games…and it shows. Soulless gameplay, lukewarm audience reactions, and titles that players forget as soon as the sale ends.
I’m not saying throw the data out. Far from it. But data is just one tool, and when we let it dictate every choice, it risks killing bold ideas.
The best creative I’ve seen came from teams who used the data but didn’t let it handcuff them. Who trusted their hunches. Who tried something weird, messy, or hard to explain with a spreadsheet.
The “it” factor isn’t formulaic.
Often, it’s the thing you can’t quantify.
When I think about games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Slay the Spire, Dead Cells, or Valheim, my take is that these teams used data to sharpen their creative vision instead of sanding it down.
I’m sure there are more. What’s a game that nailed this balance?